On Monday afternoon, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be making his third State of the Nation Address at the Session Hall of the Batasang Pambansa Complex.

But he will not just simply report the milestones that his administration reached in the past three years. Instead, he will also use the occasion as an avenue to rally behind the Filipino athletes who will shoot for glory in the Paris Olympics.

Sports occupy a special place in the President’s heart.

Under his administration, the morale of the athletes is at an all-time high as the Philippine Sports Commission, under chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann, provides everything they need from training facilities, allowance, equipment, and nutrition.

The result was impressive as 22 Filipino athletes were able to qualify in the Summer Games bannered by world No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena and his fellow Olympic veterans in boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial as well as gymnast Carlos Yulo.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said with the quality of the athletes that will be marching to Paris, it will not be a surprise if they match — or even surpass — the victory of Hidilyn Diaz in Tokyo three years ago.

Prior to that, the Philippines had successful performances in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia and the 19th Asian Games in China.

In Phnom Penh, the Filipinos captured their biggest gold medal haul in the SEA Games overseas with 58 — the most since cornering 59 in the 1987 edition in Jakarta. They also had 85 silver and 117 bronze medals to wrap up their participation at fifth place.

A few months later, the Filipino athletes delivered another impressive performance as they secured four gold, two silver and 15 bronze medals in the Hangzhou edition of the Asian Games.

What made the victory sweeter was the fact that Obiena asserted his might after cementing an Asiad record while the well-loved Gilas Pilipinas of coach Tim Cone ruled the men’s basketball tournament for the first time since 1962.

Behind all of these successes was Marcos, who had emerged as a beacon of encouragement and enthusiasm in rallying the nation to stand behind the brave Filipino athletes as they compete in the biggest and most prestigious sports conclave in the world.

“The road to the Olympics is not an easy one. It is fraught with challenges and sacrifices,” said Marcos, whose father in the late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was instrumental in the development of sports under his Project: Gintong Alay Program.

“But know this: Your entire country is behind you, cheering you on and supporting you every step of the way.”

Marcos said the government is willing to provide everything that the athletes need just to make sure that victory will be within reach.

“We are committed to providing our athletes with the support they need to excel,” he said.

Focus on grassroots

Marcos’ support to Filipino athletes wasn’t limited to the elite level.

Under his administration, the Palarong Pambansa made a comeback last year with Marikina City serving as host.

He said he knows the importance of having a strong grassroots program not only in recruiting future members of the national team but also in developing the character and discipline of the youth.

“I assure you that this government remains steadfast in developing the prowess of our young athletes and in championing their wellbeing. This administration believes in a transformative power of sports, not only in improving one’s strength and agility, but also in building up character and discipline,” Marcos said.

“These kinds of events, the Palarong Pambansa, the Palarong Panlalawigan, our regional meets, these are where we find our future champions.”

“With consistent and diligent effort, I am confident that they will eventually bring glory to our nation, not only in the field of sports, but also in other endeavors that they will choose to pursue.”

Two weeks ago, the Palarong Pambansa in Cebu saw the inclusion of student-athletes from the National Academy of Sports (NAS) – the country’s sports institute that opened in 2021 at the New Clark City in Tarlac.

Despite sending only 47 athletes, NAS made its presence felt, winning one gold, five silver and two bronze medals in the tournament that was greatly dominated by the National Capital Region, which took home 98 gold, 66 silver and 74 bronze medals to secure its 17th overall crown.

“This event is more than just an inter-school, an inter-regional competition. It is also a platform where we discover, where we develop and hone future professional athletes, Olympians, and servant leaders,” Marcos said.

World Cup hosting

Through sports, Marcos was also able to showcase the beauty of the country.

Under him, the country was able to host the FIBA World Cup last year, where 32 of the best basketball teams in the world clashed at the Mall of Asia Arena, Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Philippine Arena for pride and glory.

The last time the World Cup was held in the Philippines was in 1978 when Marcos’ father was still in office. No wonder, the Chief Executive opened his wallet and spent an enormous amount of around P1 billion through the PSC while creating an inter-agency task force to make sure that the event will run smoothly.

“The successful organization and hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 requires the involvement, coordination, and support of all concerned government agencies, local government units, and the private sector,” the administrative order that created the task force said.

Gilas Pilipinas, which was bannered by Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz, failed to advance to the knockout stages but it still had a memorable performance after beating China to notch its first World Cup win since downing Senegal in Spain in 2014.

Germany lifted the Naismith Trophy after beating Latvia in the quarterfinals, United States in the semifinals and powerhouse Serbia in the gold medal match.

Quest for glory

The quest for glory is far from over.

In the Paris Olympics, the Filipinos will be gunning for their second Olympic gold medal, something that is very possible due to the emergence of Obiena and the vast international experience of Petecio, Paalam, Marcial and Yulo.

Marcos vowed to be with the Filipino athletes every step of the way.

“As you step on to the global stage, hold our flag high and show the world what a Filipino is made of,” Marcos said.

“We believe in you, we are proud of you, and we will be with you every step of this remarkable journey.”

“The Olympics is more than just a sporting event. It is a platform to showcase the Filipino spirit, resilience, and excellence to the world.”

Yes, Philippine sports made a huge stride under President Marcos. But when he faces this sports-loving nation on Monday, he is expected to boost the morale of the Filipino athletes rather than thump his chest and recite his long list of achievements.